Eternal

Matthew took out his cell phone, glancing down at the screen with a scowl. “If you guys don’t mind, I need to check my messages,” he said, looping a headset over one ear.

“Go ahead,” I said, scooting closer to Aidan.

Aidan reached for my hand, lacing his fingers through mine as the car slid out of the garage and picked up speed. “Are you scared?” he asked, his voice low.

“A little. I don’t know. I mostly feel resigned. A little relieved too, if that makes any sense. I’ve been dreading this day for so long—knowing that it would come, but refusing to let myself think about it. But if what Matthew said is true—you know, his vision—then I’ll just be glad to have it over and done with.”

He glanced down at our joined hands for a moment and then raised his gaze to meet mine. “You’re assuming that whatever we do today will fulfill our obligation to Nicole and her cause. I’m afraid I don’t think it’s that simple.”

“Well, why not? If you end this war—”

“How am I to end this war?” he asked, his voice rising. “There’s no proof that this Dauphin legend is true. And even if it is, my role isn’t assured. For all we know, the man who raised me is my biological father, after all. This is madness, Violet.”

“You make them believe it. Listen to me,” I urged, squeezing his hand. “You’ve got Mrs. Girard’s army behind you and me and Matthew beside you. It doesn’t really matter if those other vampires can destroy you or not, because I’m not letting them.” I took a deep breath, gathering my thoughts. “You tell them that you’re the Dauphin, and you make sure they believe it. You can do this. I know you can.”

“You’ve that much faith in me?” he asked, leaning forward till his forehead rested against mine.

“I do,” I answered. “You just need to have faith in me. In Matthew and in his vision.”

“I love you, Vi,” he whispered, his breath coming faster now, mingling with mine.

“I know.” And then I kissed him, completely forgetting Matthew’s presence there in the car with us until I heard him clear his throat loudly.

“Sorry,” I said, drawing away reluctantly. “Everything okay?” I asked Matthew, seeing that his scowl had deepened.

“Oh, you know.” He stuffed his cell phone back into his pocket. “Just a half dozen or so messages from Charlie, wondering where the hell I am.”

“Uh-oh,” I said, hating the unfairness of it all. “What are you going to tell her?”

“I have no idea,” he said sharply. “Can we talk about something else? Maybe . . . I don’t know, combat strategy or something? Since we’ll have to all work together this time.”

That was enough to distract me throughout the rest of the drive into Paris.

* * *

Aidan’s apartment was pretty much exactly what I’d expected—large, exquisitely furnished, and comfortable. It took up the building’s top two floors on the side facing the Eiffel Tower, the second floor reached by a spiral staircase.

We’d stopped to pick up an oh-so-not-French lunch of cheeseburgers and fries—Le Royal Deluxe et des frites—a few blocks away, and after a quick tour of the apartment, sat at the long, rectangular farmhouse table eating. At least, Matthew and I were eating.

Aidan had disappeared back upstairs. I could hear him banging around above us as I slowly chewed my food, hoping my nerves would allow me to keep it down.

“So, this is where you’re going to live, huh?” Matthew took a sip of his drink, watching me over the rim of his cup.

“Apparently. It’s pretty nice though, right?” I glanced around, admiring the copper pots and pans hanging from the ceiling. “Awfully swanky for student housing.”

“And big,” Matthew added. “I think I counted three bedrooms besides the master suite, plus a formal living room and that little nook he called a parlor. There was a library on the second floor too. It’s got to be two or three thousand square feet, at least. What does he do with it all?”

“I suppose you’re going to ask us to rent you a room,” I joked, then immediately wished I could take it back when I saw the stricken look on his face.

I didn’t have time to question him, because Aidan came back in then, carrying a sword.

“What are you doing with that?” I asked, watching as he took it over to the counter and laid it down with a clang.

“I think I have some silver polish somewhere,” he said, digging around the cabinet beneath the sink.

“You’re going to polish a sword? Now?” I finished my last fry, crumpling the container and tossing it in the bag. “Anyway, where’d you get that thing?”

“It’s been in the family for years,” he answered, still searching through the cabinet. “It’s quite old, really, but it’ll do.”

“For what?” Matthew asked.

“If I’m to be the point man, out front, I need a weapon,” Aidan explained. “It won’t kill a vampire, obviously, but it’ll stop one long enough for the two of you to flank in and do your thing. Anyway, we’ll need one for later. To separate—”

“—the head from the body,” I finished for him. “Yeah, I remember. Is it sharp?”

He nodded, running a hand down the length of the blade. A ribbon of red appeared on his palm, dripping grotesquely down his wrist as he reached for a towel. “Perfectly so. It just needs to be shined up a bit.” Wincing, he wiped away the blood. “That hurt.”

“I’m sure it did,” I said, watching in amazement as the deep gash healed itself in a matter of seconds, right before my eyes.

Matthew nodded appreciatively. “That’s a nice trick.”

“Isn’t it?” Aidan examined his hand, looking pleased.

I exhaled quickly. “Okay, what now? I mean, after you’re done polishing your sword?”

Aidan shrugged. “We wait. This might take me a while, though.”

“Great,” I said, feeling as if I might jump out of my skin. I had to do something, occupy myself somehow. Otherwise I was going to lose it, just sitting around twiddling my thumbs. “I think I’m going to go sit on the balcony upstairs and read my e-mail, then. Or . . . maybe I’ll check out the library first, if that’s okay.”

“Hey, mon appartement est votre appartement. This is your home, come fall.”

He sounded way too cheerful, I decided. As if he were putting on a front, playacting for my benefit—trying to pretend like everything was okay, when it wasn’t. How could it be?

“You mind if I come with you to the library?” Matthew asked, tossing the rest of his lunch in the trash.

“Course not.” I stood and headed for the door, taking my drink with me. “Come find us when you’re done polishing your sword, okay, Aidan?”

He nodded. “I won’t be long.”

But I knew he would be. He wanted to be alone; I could sense it. Whatever his reasons were, I’d have to respect them, even if I didn’t like it.

And I didn’t, not one bit.

“C’mon,” I said to Matthew. “Let’s go see if he’s got anything good to read.”

29 ~ Visitors of the Unexpected Kind

Ow!” I cried out. “My wrist.” I glanced down at my bracelet, horrified to see the blackish red bloodstone glowing hotly against my skin. “No. Oh no. Aidan!”

He was beside me in an instant. “Look,” I said, holding up my wrist.

He glanced toward the window, where the moon had risen high in the sky.

There was no way of knowing if this was a single assassin, or a larger threat. But there